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GOP says Dayton's 'essential staff' includes chef and housekeeper

By Joe Kimball | 07/07/11

Update: Governor says he's paying chef from his own pocket.

A Political Agenda item yesterday noted that Gov. Mark Dayton has laid off about half of his 40-member staff during the state shutdown, while 20 are considered essential and still working.

On the list of those still working are two staff members, Micah Pace and Michelle Mersereau, who were listed as "Residence Support Staff."

This morning, Michael Brodkorb, the communications director for the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus (and he's also deputy chair of the state Republican Party), called to say that on the governor's official staff list (PDF), Pace is listed as "chef," and Mersereau is listed as "Housekeeper/server."

The list he's citing was printed in March and was obtained through data practices request, and does, indeed, list those job titles for the two.

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Comments (15)

Submitted by Dan Joachim on July 7, 2011 - 3:12pm.

And the next time the Republicans want to discuss the shutdown Gov. Dayton can tell them he's busy cooking dinner and cleaning the mansion

Submitted by john larson on July 8, 2011 - 10:03am.

so typical of the power elite on both sides of the aisle...join a Tea Party, Minnesotans!

Submitted by Chuck Johnson on July 8, 2011 - 10:36am.

"And the next time the Republicans want to discuss the shutdown Gov. Dayton can tell them he's busy cooking dinner and cleaning the mansion"

Yes and if Dayton actually did those chores it would be the first real job he's ever performed.

Submitted by Leonard Cary on July 8, 2011 - 10:44am.

Maybe the chef is a union member.

Submitted by Dale Pelletier on July 8, 2011 - 11:00am.

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL - BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

Submitted by Kelly Johnson on July 8, 2011 - 11:03am.

Well duh.... He has to eat, and the house has to be cleaned.

Oh wait.... That's just liberals that need government to do everything for them and i'm a conservative. Silly me.

This is what you get for hiring a trust fund baby to take care of a state. Someone who has never had to take care of himself, or anything for that matter.

Submitted by Brian Doyal on July 8, 2011 - 11:09am.

Right Dan. It's not like the vast majority of your state and the country are able to manage to feed themselves and keep their own living space in order while working a full time job.

Submitted by Leonard Cary on July 8, 2011 - 12:05pm.

Dan, are you in any way related to above mentioned chef person? Perhaps his union steward?

Submitted by Ben Lindberg on July 8, 2011 - 12:14pm.

Typical liberal hypocrite.
We are always the ones that have to sacrafice, but they exempt themselves from all the hardships they expect us to live with.

We don't have a tax shortage, we have a spending problem.
Negotiating with liberals on tax and spent is akin to talking to a drunk about cutting back on drinking. It's always "Just one more, and I'll quit."

Submitted by Al Shrepton on July 8, 2011 - 12:32pm.

Just another example of Limousine Liberalism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limousine_liberal

Submitted by Leonard Cary on July 8, 2011 - 1:25pm.

Is the Governor paying the chef's health care costs? A real reporter would be able to answer that question.

Submitted by don derflinger on July 8, 2011 - 1:26pm.

There is no good reason for a governor, any governor to have a personal chef paid for by taxpayer's money.

Submitted by Leonard Cary on July 8, 2011 - 1:26pm.

Oh, and the chef's psnsion, too.

Submitted by Judith O'Donnell on July 8, 2011 - 3:51pm.

Dayton exemplifies typical limo-liberal hypocrisy.

Submitted by Paul Haas on July 9, 2011 - 10:54am.

When Sarah Palin was elected governor of Alaska, she let her state-budgeted personal chef go and the family prepared their own meals. When meals and receptions were hosted at the mansion, she had them catered. The state of MN would be well served if its patrician department store heir governor were to emulate his moral and political superior.

You betcha!